The present invention relates generally to pressure-sensitive adhesive labels, as might be particularly useful for application with electrical cord sets.
The electrical cord industry continues to suffer from an excessive number of deaths and serious injuries to consumers caused by electrical shock. Accordingly, manufacturers of electrical cords, particularly cord sets, have sought to caution consumers of the various dangers that exist when electrical cords are not used properly. Electrical cord sets are particularly susceptible to causing injury or death due to electrical shock. For example, if a male end of a cord set is inserted into a power source, a dangerous situation exists unless a female end of the cord set is also appropriately connected, for example, to a power supply cord which is hard-wired into a device such as a computer.
Manufacturers typically warn consumers of many of the various hazards caused by improper use of electrical cord sets on the outer or prime packaging of the electrical cord set or associated product. Unfortunately, the warnings included with the packaging have been largely unsuccessful in increasing safety inasmuch as consumers may ordinarily discard the packaging prior to initial use of the electrical cord set. Therefore, any communications provided with the packaging are ill-suited for reminding consumers of potential dangers upon subsequent use. The problem is exacerbated when the communications are provided on an inside surface of the packaging because the warnings may actually go entirely unnoticed by the consumer.
Prior approaches for providing a long-term source for conveying cautionary information regarding electrical cord sets have heretofore been unreliable and ineffective. Because the outer insulation jackets of electrical cord sets are composed of materials which have a relatively low surface energy, such as rubbers or thermoplastics, securely attaching, or "flagging", labels to cord sets is difficult. In addition, upon flagging, a teardrop gap is ordinarily formed which undesirably causes air to desiccate the label, thereby ultimately deteriorating the label's ability to remain fastened to the cord set.
Labels taught in the prior art have been simply unable to withstand the "wear and tear" that is typically associated with the use of electrical cord sets, particularly during outdoor use. In this regard, the Underwriters Laboratories Incorporated has adopted Standard 817 for Safety of Cord Sets and Power Supply Cords. In accordance with Standard 817, labels that are attached to electrical cord sets must be able to withstand harsh exposure to heat, humidity, water immersion, freezing temperatures, pulling or snagging, ultraviolet light and other conditions. Following exposure to such severe conditions, Standard 817 of the Underwriters Laboratories Incorporated requires that the label be able to hold a 5 pound (.apprxeq.2,286 kg) weight without slipping from an original position on the cord by more than 0.5 inches (.apprxeq.1.28 cm), nor should the label tear or crack more than 0.06 inches (.apprxeq.0.16 cm). In fact, no adhesive label for cord sets has heretofore been able to satisfy the Underwriters Laboratories Standard 817.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that there exists a need in the art for an adhesive label which is able to withstand exposure to rigorous environmental conditions, as particularly encountered during use with electrical cord sets. In addition, a need also exists in the art for an adhesive label with these characteristics which does not utilize a self-winding construction during storage. A self-winding construction creates a dilemma because the label must be capable of readily delaminating from the self-winding construction during unwinding while also being able to securely fasten to an intended-use surface.